Garments for sports throw training

ABSTRACT

Garments for sports throw training are provided. An exemplary garment includes a sleeve of flexible material having an open end and terminate end. The sleeve defines an internal cavity extending between the open and terminate ends. The internal cavity includes a first portion that is generally larger than a second portion of the internal cavity. The sleeve defines an opening at the open end for enclosing portions of the hand, forearm and elbow of the arm. The sleeve defines an enclosure at the terminate end that encloses the second portion of the internal cavity for retaining an object within the internal cavity when the object is released by the hand. A fastener is attached to the sleeve and adapted for compressive attachment of the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to sports training More particularly, the present invention relates to garments and equipment for sports throw training

BACKGROUND

One of the key attributes of a player in many types of sports is the player's ability to throw an object well. Particularly, in sports such as baseball and softball, a pitcher must be able to consistently and accurately pitch a baseball or softball towards a batter. This skill is most often developed over time and through many hours of organized play and training In organized training, pitching may be practiced by throwing the ball to another player, who can either catch or bat the ball to return the ball to the pitcher. The pitcher and catching player may continue this routine as a way for the pitcher to train.

Often, during pitch training, a baseball or softball player would like to practice pitching or throwing without the need of another player to return the ball. A rebound net provides a solution for this need. The rebound net works by allowing the player to throw or pitch the baseball against the rebound net and once the ball strikes the rebound net, the ball is rebounded back from the net towards the player. A drawback of a rebound net is that such devices are not usually suitable indoors because the ball may rebound in an undesired direction towards a breakable object. For this and other reasons, it is desirable to provide improved throw training equipment that is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and allows the player to train without the need of another player to return the ball.

SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, garments for sports throw training are provided. An exemplary garment includes a sleeve of flexible material having an open end and terminate end. The sleeve defines an internal cavity extending between the open and terminate ends. The internal cavity includes a first portion that is generally larger than a second portion of the internal cavity. The first portion is positioned closer to the terminate end than the second portion. The sleeve defines an opening at the open end for slipping the sleeve over and enclosing at least portions of the hand, forearm and elbow of the arm. The sleeve defines an enclosure at the terminate end that at least substantially encloses the second portion of the internal cavity for retaining an object within the second portion of the internal cavity when the object is released by the hand positioned within the second portion of the internal cavity. The garment also includes a fastener attached to the sleeve, adapted to receive and encircle a portion of the arm, and adapted for selective, compressive attachment of the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity.

According to an aspect, the open end and the terminate end of the sleeve oppose each other.

According to another aspect, the sleeve comprises an elastic material, which may be spandex or the like.

According to yet another aspect, the terminate end of the sleeve comprises synthetic polymer, which may be nylon or the like.

According to yet another aspect, the enclosure of the sleeve entirely encloses the second portion of the internal cavity.

According to another aspect, the fastener is made of an elastic material that substantially encircles the portion of the arm and that compressively attaches the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity for substantially preventing slippage of the sleeve on the arm. The fastener may be positioned proximate the terminate end of the sleeve for encircling a lower portion of the arm and for compressively attaching the sleeve to the lower portion of the arm.

According to another aspect, the fastener is made of a cord that substantially encircles the arm and that compressively attaches the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity. A clamp may be used to fasten ends of the cord together. The fastener may be positioned proximate the open end of the sleeve for encircling an upper portion of the arm and for compressively attaching the sleeve to the upper portion of the arm.

According to yet another aspect, the sleeve defines a window proximate the terminate end of the sleeve and through which the first portion of the internal cavity is viewable from a position outside of the internal cavity. A light-transmissive material may be attached to the sleeve and positioned to cover the window.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of various embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustration, there is shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments; however, the present invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary garment for sports throw training being worn by a sports player according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the garment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the garment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and not being worn by the sports player; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another exemplary garment for sports throw training according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an exemplary garment, generally designated 100, for sports throw training according to embodiments of the present invention. The garment includes an elongated tubular sleeve 102 open at an open end 104 and generally closed at a terminate end 106, which opposes the open end 104. The garment 100 may be used for throw practice, such as pitching, without the need of another player to return the ball. Further, the garment 100 is suitable for convenient indoor or outdoor use.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the garment 100 is shown in cross-sectional side view being worn on an arm 108 and hand 110 of a player 112 in an operational position. The sleeve 102 defines an internal cavity, generally designated 114, having a portion 116 that is generally larger in space capacity than another portion 118 of the internal cavity 114. Further, the larger portion 116 is positioned closer to the terminate end 106 than the other portion 118. Generally, when worn by the player 112 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the player's hand 110 and at least a portion of the player's wrist (or lower arm) 120 are positioned within the larger portion 116 near the terminate end 106. The volume of the larger portion 116 is sufficiently sized for containing these portions of the player's arm 108 and a ball 122 or other object with which the player 112 is throw training. The space in the larger portion 116 provides sufficient space for the player 112 to throw the ball towards the terminate end 106 for training purposes. The smaller portion 118 is sized for fitting over and substantially conforming to the player's elbow 124 and upper arm 126.

When worn by the player 112 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the player 112 can practice throw training as in a normal practice setting. Particularly, the player 112 can move his or her arm 108 in a throwing motion and release the ball 122 as normal. When the ball 122 is released, movement of the ball 122 will be stopped by the enclosed terminate end 106 such that the ball 122 is retained within the larger portion 116 of the internal cavity 114. The player 112 may then grasp the ball 122 again for another practice throw or pitch. By stopping the motion of the ball 122 and retaining it in the internal cavity 114 after the throw, the player 112 can practice throw or pitch training without the need of another person to return the ball and in an indoor or outdoor environment.

The garment 100 is worn by extending the hand 110 and arm 108 through the open end 104 of the sleeve 102 into the internal cavity 114. The sleeve 102 defines an opening, generally designated 128, at the open end 104 for slipping the hand 110 and the arm 108 through the open end 104 and into position in the internal cavity 114 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The garment 100 includes a fastener 130 made of an elastic material that encircles a lower portion 132 of the arm 108 when the arm 108 is positioned within the internal cavity 114. For example, the elastic material of the fastener 130 may be made of any suitable elastomer or other material having an elastic characteristic as known to those of skill in the art. The elastic fastener 130 can be attached to the sleeve 102, generally circular in shape, and sized to compressively attach the sleeve 102 to the lower arm portion 132 for preventing slippage of the sleeve 102 on the arm 108 during throw training The fastener 130 may, in the alternative, be any other suitable mechanism for compressively attaching the sleeve 102 to the arm 108 for preventing slippage. The garment 100 may also include other fasteners made of elastic or other suitable materials for attaching the sleeve 102 to the lower arm portion 132.

In addition to the use of the fastener 130 for compressively attaching the garment 100 to the arm 108, the garment 100 also includes another fastener, generally designated 134, having a cord 136 that is attached to the sleeve 102 and that encircles the arm 108 when the arm 108 is positioned within the internal cavity 114. Ends 138 and 140 may be held together by a clamp 142 that is adapted to receive and grip ends of the cord 136 for fastening the sleeve 102 to the arm 108. The ends 138 and 140 of the cord 136 may be inserted through one or more apertures through the clamp 142 such that the cord 136 can be tightened around the upper arm 126 for compressively attaching the sleeve 102 to the upper arm 126. Particularly, the cord 136 and clamp 142 may be positioned near the open end 104 of the sleeve 102 such that the fastener 134 can compressively attach the sleeve 102 to the upper arm 126. The ends 138 and 140 may be pulled through the apertures of the clamp 142 such that the cord 136 is tightened around the upper arm 126. The clamp 142 includes a mechanism for holding and fastening the cord ends 138 and 140 together so that the cord 136 will remain tightened around the upper arm 126. As a result, the sleeve 102 will be held to the player's arm 108 throughout a practice throw. The garment 100 may also include one or more others of these fasteners spaced from one another along the length of the sleeve 102.

The cord 136 may be held in position with respect to the sleeve 102 by a fabric material 144, which may be stitched to the outside of the sleeve to form a pocket around the sleeve 102 for holding the cord 136. The fabric material 144 may be made of any suitable material, such as the same material as the sleeve 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another exemplary garment 100 for sports throw training according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the garment 100 is the same as the garment 100 shown in FIG. 1 except that the sleeve 102 defines a window 400 proximate the terminate end 106 of the sleeve 102. The space of the larger portion 116 is viewable through the window 400 from a position outside of the internal cavity 114. The window 400 can be covered by a light-transmissive material 402 attached to the sleeve 102. The light-transmissive material 402 can be a thin, light-transmissive plastic, which is attached around its periphery to the window 400. Through the window 400 and light-transmissive material 402 the player can view his or her grip on the ball 122. This feature can be particularly beneficial for pitch training, since pitching involves the use of a variety of different ball-gripping techniques for different throws.

As referred to herein, a clamp can be any suitable mechanism adapted to fasten ends of a cord together. For example, the clamp may be a toggle clip adapted for threading the ends of a cord through an aperture of the clip. In this example, a spring in the toggle clip can displace a slide such that the cord is pinched, thus fixing the spring-loaded toggle clip to hold the cord. Other suitable types of fastening mechanisms may be utilized as understood by those of skill in the art.

As referred to herein, a cord may be any suitable flexible and elongated material having two ends. In an example, the cord may be made of nylon. Alternatively, for example, the cord may be made of a string or thin rope made of several strands, braided, twisted, or woven together.

The sleeve 102 may be made entirely or partly of any suitable elastic material. For example, all or a portion of the sleeve 102 may be made of spandex. In another example, the sleeve 102 may also be made of nylon (e.g., the sleeve may be made of about 80% nylon and about 20% spandex). Portions of the sleeve 102 may be entirely made of nylon such as, for example, the terminate end 106 of the sleeve 102.

Fasteners in accordance with the present invention are not limited to the particular types shown in FIGS. 1-4. For example, in the alternative, the fasteners, such as fasteners 130 and 134, may be made of and constructed with any suitable type of hook-and-loop fabric, such as velcro. The hook-and-loop fabric may be positioned around the sleeve and a person's arm and tightened around the arm for securing the sleeve to the arm.

Also, it should be understood that the types of fasteners described herein may be interchanged in accordance with different embodiments of the present invention. For example, fastener 130 may be replaced with the type of fastener 134 and vice versa. In addition, any number of the same or different types of fasteners may be placed along the length of the sleeve for attaching the sleeve to the person's arm.

While the embodiments have been described in connection with the various embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims. 

What is claimed:
 1. A garment for sports throw training, the garment comprising: a sleeve of flexible material having an open end and terminate end and defining an internal cavity extending between the open and terminate ends, wherein the internal cavity includes a first portion that is generally larger than a second portion of the internal cavity, wherein the first portion is positioned closer to the terminate end than the second portion, wherein the sleeve defines an opening at the open end for slipping the sleeve over and enclosing at least portions of the hand, forearm and elbow of the arm, and wherein the sleeve defines an enclosure at the terminate end that at least substantially encloses the second portion of the internal cavity for retaining an object within the second portion of the internal cavity when the object is released by the hand positioned within the second portion of the internal cavity; and a fastener attached to the sleeve, adapted to receive and encircle a portion of the arm, and adapted for selective, compressive attachment of the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the open end and the terminate end oppose each other.
 3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises an elastic material.
 4. The garment of claim 3, wherein the elastic material comprises spandex.
 5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the terminate end of the sleeve comprises synthetic polymer.
 6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the synthetic polymer comprises nylon.
 7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the enclosure of the sleeve entirely encloses the second portion of the internal cavity.
 8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the fastener is made of an elastic material that substantially encircles the portion of the arm and that compressively attaches the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity for substantially preventing slippage of the sleeve on the arm.
 9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the fastener is positioned proximate the terminate end of the sleeve for encircling a lower portion of the arm and for compressively attaching the sleeve to the lower portion of the arm.
 10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the fastener is made of a cord that substantially encircles the arm and that compressively attaches the sleeve to the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity.
 11. The garment of claim 10, wherein the fastener includes a clamp adapted to fasten ends of the cord together.
 12. The garment of claim 10, wherein the fastener is positioned proximate the open end of the sleeve for encircling an upper portion of the arm and for compressively attaching the sleeve to the upper portion of the arm.
 13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the sleeve defines a window proximate the terminate end of the sleeve and through which the first portion of the internal cavity is viewable from a position outside of the internal cavity.
 14. The garment of claim 13, further comprising a light-transmissive material attached to the sleeve and positioned to cover the window.
 15. A garment for sports throw training, the garment comprising: a sleeve of flexible material having an open end and a terminate end and defining an internal cavity extending between the open and terminate ends, wherein the internal cavity includes a first portion that is generally larger than a second portion of the internal cavity, wherein the first portion is positioned closer to the terminate end than the second portion, wherein the sleeve defines an opening at the open end for slipping the sleeve over and enclosing at least portions of the hand, forearm and elbow of the arm, and wherein the sleeve defines an enclosure at the terminate end that at least substantially encloses the second portion of the internal cavity for retaining an object within the second portion of the internal cavity when the object is released by the hand positioned within the second portion of the internal cavity; a cord substantially encircling a periphery of the sleeve proximate the open end for encircling an upper portion of the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity; a clamp adapted to receive and grip ends of the cord for compressively attaching the sleeve to the upper portion of the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity for substantially preventing slippage of the sleeve on the arm; and an elastic material substantially encircling a lower portion of the arm when the arm is positioned within the internal cavity such that the elastic material compressively attaches the sleeve to the lower portion of the arm for substantially preventing slippage of the sleeve on the arm.
 16. The garment of claim 15, wherein the open end and the terminate end oppose each other.
 17. The garment of claim 15, wherein the sleeve comprises an elastic material.
 18. The garment of claim 17, wherein the elastic material comprises spandex.
 19. The garment of claim 15, wherein the terminate end of the sleeve comprises synthetic polymer.
 20. The garment of claim 15, wherein the enclosure of the sleeve entirely encloses the second portion of the internal cavity. 